1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of data transfer and, more particularly, to transferring secure tabular data over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Problems faced by manufacturing planners include the need to update large amounts of planning data on database management systems, according to a constantly changing set of criteria (supply, demand, forecasts, parts availability, inventory, etc.) from remote locations of a company. These planners need the ability to create ad hoc queries and reports, customized to their own requirements, and the ability to share these queries and reports with other planners worldwide. They also need to coordinate their updates with the execution of batch processes in their planning cycles. Since the manufacturing planners do not have technical skills to write and maintain complex database queries on a continuous basis, there is need for a user-friendly database access method and system that is secure and has the following functional capabilities.
More specifically, there is a need to create secure complex queries based on selection of table(s), columns, and constraints and, on the queries to create a snapshot of the database data on their workstation. Further, there is a need to edit the results of the query on their workstation, and when all edits are complete, save all the changes on the database. There is a need to retrieve from the database large quantities of data (typically hundreds of thousands of cells, where a cell is defined as an intersection of a row and a column), allowing edits to this data on the workstation, and the ability to commit these changes in total at a time of the planner's choosing. There is also the need to produce reports capable of summarizing database information by selected groups, and producing subtotals and grand totals if desired, as well as reports on the delta between two similarly structured tables. There is also the need to provide the ability to make mass changes (cascade) to a set of related data, across multiple tables. For instance, the planners frequently define new bills of materials (BOMs) with contents similar to an existing BOM. They need the ability to create a new BOM on all tables by copying an existing BOM and changing the BOM name as well as provide an easily administered set of security and controls to ensure users update only the tables, rows, and columns to which they are authorized. Further, there is a need to provide the ability to initiate batch processes on the database server. Prior database access schemes include U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,416 (hereinafter referred to as the '416 patent) entitled “method of creating a tabular data stream for sending rows of data between client and server,” which is incorporated by reference. The '416 patent provides a method and tabular data stream format for the transmission of tabular data between a client process running on a client computer and a server process running on a server computer via a computer network such as the Internet.
The tabular data stream format, called the Advanced Data TableGram (ADTG) format, is used for marshaling tabular data in both directions between a Web browser and a Web server. A Web browser query is processed by the Web server retrieving tabular data from a database and converting the data into a rowset. Problems that the '416 patent does not address include ensuring that the client computer and the server computer have knowledge of each other during an entire transaction session that is essential for secure hierarchical integrated processing of data in a business, a mechanism for specifying commit object rules, an ability to display and edit large volumes of data, and an ability to update related information across multiples tables in the database. Thus, there is need for a strategic client planning database access schema for use in a distributed computer network that is easy to use, yet ensures integrity of tabular data used in an organization computing network.